More folks enjoy cannabis legalization in more states than ever before. We have 24 legalization states and 38 medical ones. The downside? A patchwork of state and federal laws and rules on trains, planes, and automobiles.
As America herds through a record year for travel, Leafly is here to keep pace with the changes. Listen to our updated rules for hitting the road or flying with weed in 2024—via this 2023 interview with Los Angeles’ National Public Radio affiliate KCRW.
“There are a lot of people taking personal amounts of cannabis on domestic flights,” I told KCRW.
Here are the tips in the audio, plus several more for 2024:
Legal disclaimer
Don’t break federal or state laws. Check the laws here.
Airports
Know the legal limits
You can have up to one ounce on you in California. More than that can trigger consequences. Airport security defers to local police, who will enforce state law.
Scofflaws should avoid attention
Airport security is focused on finding guns and bombs, not your bomb herb. Avoid packing glass jars, metal grinders, or liquids over a few ounces—all of which TSA draws airport screener attention. For example, packing too much shampoo can trigger a bag check, and then the marijuana they find gets dragged into it.
“TSA security officers do not search for marijuana or other illegal drugs, but if any illegal substance is discovered during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer,” the TSA states.
Can I travel with CBD and hemp?
Yes—the United States now classifies anything under 0.3%THC by weight not as federally illegal “marijuana” but as fully legal “hemp.”
Vapes on a plane
Savvy travelers pack vapes in their carry-on. Vape batteries in checked baggage will be confiscated as a fire risk.
You will be arrested for vaping in airports and on planes, so abstain until you arrive at your destination. Plus, it’s extremely rude and a bad look for the community.
Respect international borders
Cannabis remains illegal in Mexico and other countries—where prohibition comes with expensive fines, lengthy hassles, and scary police interactions. Taking it across borders can mess your trip up.
Obviously, don’t bring THC to foreign adversary states like Iran, China, or Russia. Singapore also has notoriously brutal weed laws.
Barcelona, Spain has decriminalized private, personal use of pot, but its lounges endured heavy enforcement during Spannabis in March 2024. Pay attention to changes in Thailand this year.
Conversely, German decriminalization kicked in on April 1, 2024.
And don’t weed back into the United States, goofball. That’s like bringing sand to the beach.
On the road
Put the THC in the trunk
The law is similar to alcohol—open containers get you in trouble. Unopened weed bags in the trunk are legal in legalization states. You don’t want a half-burned joint on the dashboard.
Respect all traffic laws
It’s a good life philosophy to break one law at a time. Don’t speed or road rage with illegal weed in the car. Smell alone no longer provides probable cause to search a car. But driver behavior can trigger further questioning.
“American highway patrol officers can be a pain in the ass in any state, so be careful and travel responsibly no matter what state you’re in,” writes columnist Herbert Fuego, for the Denver Westword.
Respect state lines
Prohibition states like Idaho will arrest you for a vape cart that’s legal in California. Mind the map.
Legal weed from Kansas City, MO is illegal just across the bridge in Kansas. Michigan has legal drive-through dispensaries at the stateline with illegal Wisconsin. It’s a wild time.
Taking weed across state lines is federally illegal, but it really comes down to the local and state jurisdiction you’re in, so be smart.
Read even more details in Leafly’s collection of travel-related cannabis consumer tips below.
